Do I need to include a Keywords meta tag?

What are meta keywords?

Meta keywords are keywords or phrases that are semantically relevant to the content of a specific website page. Search engines use this tag to determine how well the text matches the specified keywords.

In 2024, meta keywords no longer hold the same importance they did in the early 2000s. Updated algorithms prioritize high-quality content and user experience. Search engines like Google and Bing have officially announced they will ignore the keywords tag, while other search engines may still index it.

It's not as if the tag's value has been completely lost. However, what you definitely shouldn't do is include too many keywords in it; this will likely have a negative impact on SEO.

Do I need to fill in meta keywords?

There are currently two opinions. Some SEOs believe there's no point in filling it out. The arguments against it are roughly as follows:

• Google abandoned meta keywords back in 2009 because many people were abusing the tag and adding irrelevant keywords to it for better ranking;
• Search robots do not examine this tag because it is impossible to determine the target purpose of the page using irrelevant keywords;
• Meta keywords no longer provide any practical benefit for SEO promotion;
• Keyword stuffing simply wastes the time and energy of qualified specialists;
• Working with tags violates the principle of confidentiality—anyone can see in a second the list of keywords that took time and money to collect.

More conservative experts offer a number of their arguments in favor of:

• Meta keywords improve internal search on the site and help users find the information they need faster;
• If your site ranks in alternative search engines such as Baidu, for example, a Chinese site for an audience from China, filling in the meta tag can be useful for page promotion;
• The keywords tag simplifies tracking and analyzing keywords, making it easier to understand what queries a page is based on and, therefore, to develop an SEO promotion strategy;
• Filling in keywords is not the most difficult task, it does not require much time or resources, and can be useful, for example, in the case of archive pages or regional search pages;
• Some older websites and content management systems still use keywords—this helps preserve legacy settings and improve compatibility a bit.

Especially for supporters of meta keywords, in the next section we publish rules for filling out the meta tag.

How to fill in keyword tags?

Here are a few rules to follow if you decide to fill in keywords:

1. All words or phrases must be written separated by a comma and a space.
2. Avoid overusing keywords - keep them to a minimum and ensure they are fully relevant to the page content.
3. Repeating words is undesirable, as search engine robots don't like it. Correct: order SEO promotion, SEO promotion Kyiv, price. Incorrect: order SEO promotion, order SEO promotion Kyiv, SEO promotion price.
4. All specified queries must be unique. Ideally, use 2-5 keywords. Repeating these same queries on other pages is not recommended.
5. For technical pages such as "Contact" or "Contact Form", the keywords meta tag is not used under any circumstances.
6. Key phrases with prepositions are not allowed. Therefore, the correct option is: Order SEO promotion in Kyiv, rather than ordering SEO promotion in Kyiv.

If you have a lot of keywords, you can automate the process. Some content management systems offer dedicated plugins for websites. Another option is to manually enter queries for each page in the admin panel so they are automatically pulled into the site's code.